With the development of science and technology, service robots have gradually replaced many of the traditional human labor workforces. A variety of robots used in an indoor or outdoor environment have been widely available, such as in Europe and the United States. For current outdoor mobile platforms with a high-precision navigation system, one of the most important applications is an outdoor service robot. According to market research data and statistical data (Robot Home Cleaning, Cooking, Pool Cleaning, and Lawn Mowing Market Strategy, Market Shares, and Market Forecasts, 2008-2014), such as that analyzed by Wolfram Research, Inc, the technology of current outdoor service robots is still immature, but has a large potential market, such as that for a robot that mows, wherein the market size is expected to grow and reach US $305 billion in 2014.
The outdoor mobile platform is mainly used for working in large outdoor areas. For many occasions and in many environments, for example, golf courses, parks, and yards in front of or behind a house and so on, the outdoor mobile platform is a useful product. A navigation system is the most important and critical component of the outdoor mobile platform. The navigation system can also determine whether the work efficiency of the mobile platform is good or bad. However, the navigation technology of current outdoor mobile platforms has limitations.